Most of us know how first maps go. Terrible, to say the least. I bet it’s even safe to say that alot of first maps don’t see the light of day! Planetside, being H-Hour’s first map, is one of those exceptions where not long after loading it up you know you’ve got something special.

The story places you in charge of disabling a stations gun controls so that an air attack may commence. Of course you go in with a squad but they are taken out early in the mission leaving the responsibility on your shoulders. As the map begins you can hear the screams of your squad mates as they are taken out by a berserker. A nice touch that really adds to the moment.

It’s hard to believe that the author once thought about scrapping this level because the design shows off a quality you usually see in seasoned mappers. The architecture stands out the most with plenty of angled walls and large outdoor areas. The skyline is a pleasant dark blue that, when mixed in with the surrounding structures, can easily distract you from the troubles at hand. There is some backtracking to be done, the old find the key ploy strikes again. This time though, it doesn’t feel so repetitive and it gives you a chance to see somethings you might have missed.

Gameplay is executed with precision. Enemy placement is right on the money, along with surprise attacks coming in behind you. This tatic isn’t overplayed, in fact, it’s implemented just enough that you are always held in anticipation. Here is also one of the maps downfalls, though it is a small one. The enemies that appear behind you tend to just appear out of thin air. Only in a few instances do you see them coming from behind something or teleporting in. A small gripe I know but it tends to take something away from the level.

Item placement is well thought out and offers you just enough to get by on. Your main weapon through out the level is the shotgun, so be prepared to take on some gunners in some non-desirable situations. You do recieve the machinegun and some grenades as well, but the real surprise is the super shotgun being held out until about 3/4 of the way through the map. This power house tends to ruin other maps by making them to easy, so it’s nice to see the author fix this issue.

Minor issues aside, Planetside is an awesome first attempt. It honestly blows my mind that a level of such quality was not created by a veteran mapper. Simply put, it’s a must play. Download away.

It is truly unfortunate, the shots he posted were of a river running through a canyon, unlike anything ever done in Q2 before. He still has a website up, just has nothing to go with Quake. Search Func_msgboard under “people”, and you’ll find his website.